Building construction toy



NOV. 1954 w. BURCHARD BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TOY Filed April 15. 1950 FIG. 2

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

f/Q/fer fil yard ATTO R N EYS United States Patent 'Oflice 2,693,663 Patented Nov. 9, 1954 I 2,693,663 BUILDlNG CONSTRUCTION Tor Walter Bu'rcllard, Florham Park, N. J.

Application April 15, 1950, Serial No. 156,149

4 Claims. (Cl. 4628) This invention relates to toys and particularly to building elements which may be assembled in various ways to produce model structures according to the fancy of the user.

Building elements in various forms intended for similar use have been known heretofore. However, they have not been provided with suitable interlocking means to hold the elements in assembled relation. Consequently, in assembling a structure from such elements, great care is necessary to avoid displacing elements already assembled, and the structure when finished is unstable and has a tendency to collapse with any slight movement like a house of cards.

It is the object of the present invention to provide elements, each of which has a plurality of interlocking sections arranged longitudinally at intervals so that the elements can be assembled in rectangular relation and held together securely.

Another object of the invention is the provision of elements as hereinafter described with auxiliary interlocking means formed integrally therewith.

A further object of the invention is the provision of elements which may be assembled and held securely in angular relation other than rectangular.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the folllloillving specification and the accompanying drawings, in w 1c Fig. l is a view in perspective of a portion of one of the elements;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of one of the elements;

Fig. 3 is a section through a joint between two of the elements assembled in rectangular relation;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a rafter element adapted to be assembled with other elements in angular relation other than rectangular;

. Fig. 5 is an end view of a portion of a rafter element; and

Fig. 6 illustrates a simple structure consisting of a plurality of assembled elements.

The elements as hereinafter described may be made of any material which is adapted to be worked into the desired shape as, for example, by milling or otherwise cutting wood, metal, plastic, or equivalent material. Preferably the material used is a plastic such as a polyethyl ene resin produced by condensation of polyethylene or a similar plastic suitable for injection molding. Thus, after the molds have been prepared, the elements can be duplicated endlessly in identical form so that they can be assembled readily. The user can purchase elements at widely spaced times with assurance that the elements will always interlock.

The element comprises a bar which is preferably rectangular in form. The bar has a plurality of spaced flanges thereon, the side walls of each flange being 'disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the element. The flanges extend outwardly from the four sides of the bar and have edges parallel to the faces of the bar. Thus, when two elements are brought together in rectangular relation, the flanges interlock and the spacing and angu lar relation of the side walls of the'flanges causes them to be held frictionally in the desired relation. They will remain in such relation until the friction is overcome by the application of suitable force. The frictional contact is such that the elements, when assembled, will not separate until they are purposely separated. As an additional means for holding the bars together, each bar, in the spaces between the flanges at opposite sides thereof, may be provided with depressions and projections which will also interlock when the bars are pressed together. The elements may be supplied in various standard lengths to facilitate assemblage into structures and elements may be cut by the user to afford smaller elements when needed. When a structure has been assembled, it can be preserved, or it may be taken apart readily so that the elements are available for production of other structures.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates a structural member comprising a bar 6 of squaresection having a plurality of flanges 7 formed thereon. At the end 8, the flange is angled at only one side, although it may actually be similar to the flanges 7. Each flange has side walls 9 which are disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the element. Consequently when two of the elements are assembled, as indicated for example in Fig. 3, the flanges of one member are disposed between flanges of the co-operating member, and, since all of the elements are identical in dimension in so far as the flanges are concerned, the flanges will interlock by frictional engagement between the side walls 9. This frictional engagement is suflicient to hold the elements in assembled relation, and additional elements may be assembled in a similar manner to form any desired structure. For additional security, the bars between the flanges may be provided on opposite sides with projections 10 and depressions 11 which, when two elements are assembled, are adapted to interlock by engagement of the projection 10 with a contiguous depression 11. This is merely an auxiliary, however, and is not essential to the invention.

In building structures, it is often desirable to dispose elements at angles other than rectangular, as for example the rafters on a roof. To permit such use of the invention, I provide rafter elements as shown in Figs. 4 and These are identical with the elements shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that at the ends the elements 12 are bent at an angle of 45 to the axis of the main portion of the element. A rafter element may thus have its ends interlocked with other elements lying, for instance, in horizontal planes and the main portion of the rafter element will extend at an acute angle to the horizontal plane. In this manner, it is possible to arrange elements in the position of rafters of a roof structure. These rafter elements 12 may have projections 14 and depressions 15 at opposite ends which will interlock when the elements are assembled to afford greater security, although such means are not essential to the invention.

In Fig. 6, a simple building structure is illustrated, comprising a plurality of elements 5 and, rafter elements 12. Any number of different structures can be similarly assembled by using elements of suitable size and by cutting elements, if necessary, to afford shorter pieces. Such structures, when assembled are stable and will not fall apart under any normal conditions. However, the elements can be separated by the application of suitable force, so that the elements are available for the building of other structures. Such assembling of the elements afiords a fascinating pastime.

Various changes may be made in the device as illustrated without departing from the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. A toy building element consisting of a bar of square cross-section having integrally formed therewith a plurality of circumferential flanges of square cross-section, each of the flanges having opposite side walls disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the element, and the base edges of adjacent flanges being spaced apart axially of the element a distance substantially equal to the width of a flat face of the bar.

2. A toy building element consisting of a bar of solid plastic material of square cross section having integrally formed therewith a series of spaced transverse circumferential flanges of square cross section, each of the flanges having opposite side walls disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the element forming grooves between the flanges adapted to receive a portion of a similar element in perpendicular relation thereto, and the base edges of adjacent flanges being spaced apart axially of the element a distance substantially equal to the width of a flat face of the bar.

3. A toy building element consisting of a bar of square cross section having integrally formed therewith a plurality of circumferential flangesv of square cross section, each of the flanges having opposite side walls disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the element, the bar between the flanges having projections and depressions of equivalent dimensions on opposite sides, and the base edges of adjacent flanges being spaced apart axially of the element a distance substantially equal to the width of a flat face of the bar.

4. A toy building element consisting of a bar of square cross section having integrally formed therewith a plurality of circumferential flanges of square cross section,

each of the flanges having opposite side Walls disposed at an angle of 45 9 to the axis of the element, the base edges of adjacent flanges being spaced apart axially of the element a distance substantially equal to the width of a flat face of the bar, and one end of the element being formed wih a portion extending at an angle of 45 to the axis of the main portion of the element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 340,671 Mankey Apr. 27, 1886 474,285 Borgner May 3, 1892 1,159,204 Forney Nov. 2, 1915 1,445,931 Bolger Feb. 20, 1923 

